Control mechanism for fulling machines



July 20, 1937. F. F. FLAGG 2,087,342

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR FULLING MACHINES Filed June 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Wan/{12. 2%

July 20, 1937. F. F. FLAGG 2,087,342

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR FULLING MACHINES Filed June 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 20, 1937 PATENT OFFICE.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR FULLING MACHINES Frank F. Flagg, Millbury, Mass.

Application June 9, 1936, Serial No. 84,323

5 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for washing and fulling cloth. In the operation of such machines the ends of the fabric are secured together to form a continuous belt of cloth which is caused to travel in a closed path and between the fulling rolls for any desired period. During such operation of the machine, it sometimes happens that the cloth will form a knot or loop which may cause considerable damage to the goods if the machine is not promptly stopped.

It is the general object of my present invention to provide improved control mechanism by which the power will be more promptly thrown off and a brake will be applied with increased effectiveness whenever a knot or loop approaches the fulling rolls.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more'particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a fulling machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; V

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the brakeapplying mechanism, loking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail elevation of certain parts, looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a fulling machine comprising a casing It! provided with doors I! and i2 which are normally secured by locking bars l3 and I4. Fulling rolls 2|] and 2| (Fig. 2) are mounted within the casing in, and the cloth C is drawn between the rolls during the washing and fulling operation.

A guide roll 22 and porcelain guides 23 direct the cloth as it approaches the rolls. After passing the rolls 20 and 2|, the cloth accumulates in loose folds in the lower part of the casing, as is common in such machines and as indicated in Fig. 2.

The lower fulling roll 20 is mounted on a shaft 30' which extends outward through the casing Ill and supports a freely rotatable belt-driven pulley 3|. An outer bearing 32 is provided for the end of the shaft 36, and a clutch member 33 is keyed to the shaft 30 but slidable thereon. The clutch member, when moved to the left in Fig. 1, engages a clutch surface on the pulley 3| and the pulley 3| is thus rendered operative to drive the fulling roll 2|].

The clutch member 33 is positioned by a lever 35 pivoted at 36 and having its forked upper end provided with rolls seated in an annular groove 31 in the hub of the clutch member 33.

The lower end of the'lever 35 is connected by a link 40 to the lower end of .an arm 4| mounted on arock shaft 42 supported in bearings at one side of the casing ID. A shipper handle 44 is also secured to the rock shaft 42 and may be used to move the clutch member 33 to operative or inoperative position.

An arm 4'! is fixed to the frontend of the rock shaft 42 and is provided with a stud 48 which is connected by a tension spring 50to a fixed lower stud 5|. Whenever the shipper handle is shifted in either direction, the stud 48 crosses the center line through the shaft 42 and the lower fixed stud 5|, and the spring thereafter acts to accelerate the motion of the shipper handle and to hold the handle firmly in extreme po sition.

The fulling roll shaft 30 is also extended through the left-hand side of the casing H] and supports abrake-drum surrounded by a brakeband 6| (Fig. 3). One end of the band 6| is mounted on a fixed stud 62 andthe other end is connected by a bolt 63 toa lever 64 which is also pivoted on the stud 62. A spring 65 on the bolt 63 tends to separate the ends of the brakeband 6| and thus release the brake, and a nut 66 on the bolt 63 limits the releasing movement.

A link or rod 10 (Fig. 3) extends downward through an opening H in the outer end of the lever 64 and through an opening 12 in the outer end of an arm 14 secured to a second rock shaft IS. The shaft 15 is mounted in bearings in the sides of the casing I0 and extends through the casing from one side to the other.

An arm 11 is secured to the opposite end. of the rock shaft 15 and is connected by chain links I8 to an arm (Fig. 1) fixed to the first rock shaft 42. A rack or guide member 82 (Fig. 3) is secured to the rock shaft 15 within the casing l0 and is provided with spaced pins 83 between which the cloth C is drawn upward toward the fulling rolls.

The rod 10 has an enlarged portion where it passesthrough the opening 12, and collars 9| are loosely mounted on the rod H1 and are yieldingly forced against the ends of the enlarged portion by springs 92 acting against nuts 93 threaded on the rod 19. The arm 14 thus has limited lost-motion relative to the rod 10 i and also has a yielding connection with the rod 70 as soon as the arm is substantially displaced in either direction. This permits the guidemember 82, when engaged by a knot or loop, to have a slight additional upward movement after the brake-band St has been firmly applied.

Having described the details of construction of my improved fulling machine, the operation and advantages thereof are as follows:-

During the normal operation of the machine, the shipper handle will be held by the spring 58 in the position shown in Fig. 1, thus causing the clutch member 33 to be engaged and releasing the brake-band 6|. the cloth and engages the pins 83 of the guidemember 82, the guide-member will be swung upward, rocking the cross shaft 15 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, thus ptdling down ward on the rod l0 and lever 54 and strongly applying the brake to the brake-drum 50.

At the same time the arm I! is moved upward and acts: through the arm 30 to rock the shaft 62, throwing the'shipper handle to off position and releasing the clutch member 33. As soon as the handle receives its initial movement and the spring 59 passes its dead center, the tension of the spring accelerates the motion of the shipper handle so that the clutch is more quickly released. This accelerated and continued motion is permitted by the loose-link connection 78 between the two rock shafts.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details: herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. Ina washing and fulling machine, a pair of fulling rolls, means to drive one of said rolls, a throw-off device for said driving means, a brake for one of said rolls, a knot-detecting member, connections actuated by said member effective to apply the brake, additional connections for said member, through which additional connections said throw-off device is preliminarily operated to disengage said driving means, and separate and additional means to complete the disengaging movement of said throw-off device.

2. In a washing and fulling machine, a pair of fulling rolls, means to drive one of said rolls, a throw-off device for said driving means, a

If a knot or loop forms in.

brake for one of said rolls, a knot-detecting member, connections actuated by said member effective to apply the brake, additional connections between said member and said throw-off device including a flexible link and through which additional connections and link said throw-off device is preliminarily operated, and separate and additional means to complete the movement of said throw-01f device to render said driving means fully inoperative.

3. In a washing and fulling machine, a pair of fulling rolls, means to drive one of said rolls, a throw-off device for said driving means, a brake for one of said rolls, a knot-detecting member, connections actuated by said member effective to apply the brake, additional connections for said member, through which additional connections said throw-off device is preliminarily operated to disengage said driving means, and separate and additional means to complete the movement of said throw-off device to disengage the driving means and to hold said throw-01f device in. extreme disengaging position.

A. In a washing and fulling machine, a pair of fulling rolls, means to drive one of said rolls, a throw-off device to disengage said driving means, a brake for one of said rolls, a knotdetecting member, connections actuated by said member effective to apply the brake, additional connections for said member including a flexible link through which additional connections and link said throw-off device is operated, and means to hold said throw-off device; in either engaging or disengaging position.

5. In a washing and fulling machine, a pair 1 of fulling rolls, means to drive one of said rolls, a throw-01f device to disengage said driving means, a brake for one of said rolls, a knotdetecting member, connections actuated by said member effective toapply the brake, additional connections: for said member including a flexible link through which additional connections and link said throw-oil device is operated, and a spring operative at each side of a dead center and effective to hold said throw-off device yieldingly in either engaging or disengaging position.

FRANK F. FLAGG. 

